3D Modelling of Mass and Heat Transport in Multi-Phase Microfluidic Systems

Szomor, Zsombor and Pardy, Tamás and Fürjes, Péter (2025) 3D Modelling of Mass and Heat Transport in Multi-Phase Microfluidic Systems. In: 2025 31st International Workshop on Thermal Investigations of ICs and Systems (THERMINIC). IEEE, Naples, No. 11216952. ISBN 9798331594862; 9798331594879

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Abstract

Microfluidic technology enables miniaturization reaction chambers, reducing reagent consumption, improving efficiency, and shortening reaction times. Accurate control of local temperatures within microfluidic systems is crucial for maintaining reliable conditions for biochemical processes. Precise thermal regulation improves the efficiency and reproducibility of temperature-sensitive reactions, such as nucleic acid amplification or protein synthesis. This study models and characterizes coupled hydrodynamic and thermal processes in microfluidic systems using finite element modeling (FEM) in COMSOL Multiphysics. The developing temperature distribution along the channel was analyzed considering different fluids and volume flows and the thermal behaviour was characterized and compared in case of classic single-phase, continuous flow and two-phase, droplet flow to reveal the effects of spatial material inhomogeneities. Mixing of injected reagents was also studied and a special serpentine type channel architecture was proposed to enhance the mixing efficiency of the microfluidic system utilizing the evolving Dean vortices. The goal was to achieve effective homogenization of the reagents within the droplets before reaching the heated reaction zones. Till our previous studies primarily focused on the thermohydraulic analysis of two-phase systems, this work incorporates a three-phase model (water, fluorescent BSA solution, oil) to simulate more properly the on-chip biochemical reactions. The optimized temperature control and homogeneous microenvironment ensure effective chemical reactions in droplets for diagnostics and biotechnology.

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